12+Sansom

Urban development is a delicate balancing act, and sometimes we must say goodbye to cherished local destinations in order to make way for a plan that is ultimately more beneficial to the community and to the city at large. One of such trade-offs is slated to occur at 7619 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, Northwest Philadelphia, where the Trolley Car Diner is set to meet the wrecking ball, to be replaced by a six-story, mixed-use residential development designed by Morrissey Design. Although the charming chrome, neon, mural, and freestanding trolley of the diner will be missed, the proposal at hand makes for more effective use of the site, bringing significant residential density within a two0-block walk of the Mount Airy Station of the SEPTA Regional Rail and replacing the auto-centric restaurant with pedestrian-friendly retail.

The 25th entry on Philly YIMBY’s December 2020 Development Countdown is a 317-foot-tall, 27-story residential tower planned for 709 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City. The 278-unit building is being developed by Roseland Properties and Parkway Corporation and is designed by Edry McHenry Architects, which recently revealed a rendering of a 350-foot building at 2100 Market Street. The structure will span almost the entirety of the 170-by-170-foot site that currently operates as an active parking lot. Permits have yet to be filed for the project, and no demolition preparations have begun.